St. David’s Children’s Hospital launches bedside music medicine program

St. David’s Children’s Hospital has teamed up with local musicians to become the first facility in Texas to launch a therapeutic bedside music medicine program for hospitalized kids and teens through MyMusicRx. The program is tailored to each patient’s needs, complementing the hospital’s child life program.

Research has shown that music therapy can reduce stress, anxiety and the perception of pain in hospitalized kids of all ages and with varied diagnoses. To participate, local volunteer musicians must undergo specialized training to learn the most effective music medicine techniques for children, teens and their families. The musicians play and teach music at the bedsides of pediatric patients. Children can sing-along, interact with high-quality instruments, and explore music games and apps on a computer tablet.

MyMusicRx is the flagship program of the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA), a pioneer and leader in personalizing music medicine experiences to create transformative moments of joy for kids facing cancer and severe illness.

“We are proud to be partnering with St. David’s Children’s Hospital and with Austin’s incredible live music community to bring the healing power of music to Central Texas children and families,” Regina Ellis, founder and chief joy officer of Children’s Cancer Association, said.